Entwining Realities
by sapphire-lights
Summary: Draco and Hermione are back at Hogwarts retaking their classes. Although the Dark Lord has been vanquished, there is yet another disturbance ready to stir at Hogwarts. Can Draco protect Hermione long enough so that she can be safe, or does his feelings get in the way? Horrible summary, give the story a chance though? :) Chapters do get longer as you continue to read
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning

As the sun rose into the sky and seeped through the curtains, I couldn't help but groan, irritated about the fact that today was the first day back at school. Normally, I would be delighted to bury my nose into freshly bought books but after the war ended, everything seemed to clash and become different.  
A sudden flash of light emerged from the window, which blinded my eyes. I realised it my best friend tearing away the rich velvet curtains. She always had a thing about being the early bird.

"Gin, close the curtains!" I cried.

"Come on, 'Mione, today's the first day of school. Lighten up!"

I sat up in my bed, still feeling groggy and rubbed my eyes drowsily. Even though it was the first day of school, I still had another reason to stay in bed. Not that Ginny knew of course, and even if she did, she didn't mention it….

_Till now._

"Hermione, I know you're still getting over the fact that you and my brother are not together anymore but you've got to look at things differently. You're Hermione Jean Granger for crying out loud, the brightest witch of her age. Today's a new day, turn over a new leaf. You never know, something interesting could happen."

_Oh the joy in discovering new things._  
"Alright alright, I'm coming." I said in defeat.

Ginny looked at me in content and strolled outside, waiting for me to get ready. I sauntered into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a complete mess. Even though it had become less frizzy and bushy, I still found myself having a hard time dealing with it. I scrunched up my nose, picked up a brush nearest to me and began brushing the knots out of my golden-brown hair. Feeling lazy, I reached for my wand and waved a bunch of spells, getting dressed and prepared in no time.

'Okay Hermione, you can do this. Don't be such a coward.'

Taking a deep breath, I lumbered outside to Ginny, who was waiting patiently out on the front steps.

"Ready to go?" She grinned.

I gave her a quick nod and smiled half-heartedly, following her into the familiar hallways of Hogwarts. I took a deep breath and braced myself for what the day had planned for me.

***Hey guys, this is my first time writing a story so please bear with me ****~  
****All known characters belong to the amazing J.K Rowling, hope you like it so far. Next chapter will be up soon :) **


	2. Chapter 2 An Unexpected Crash

The hallways swarmed with students in their new black robes. Ginny and I barely managed to get across. There were students standing in the middle of the walkway catching up and other students were leaning on the side, chatting amongst themselves. I examined the familiar and new faces that joined Hogwarts; everyone seemed relaxed and extremely relieved that their favourite institute was still intact. Professor McGonagall even refurbished a few things. I was so wrapped up in everything, I didn't realise what I just smashed into. Or to be precise, _who_.

"Woah, watch it there Granger or you'll end up with a flat nose."

"Ha-ha, very funny Malfoy," I huffed. "Now if you'd excuse me, I have to meet my friends."

"Who? Potter and Weaslebee?" Malfoy smirked. "I heard you and Weasley broke up and he's gone back to that dewy-eyed girl that always wears headbands."

I rolled my eyes and ignored his second statement. "As a matter of fact, yes I'm meeting Harry and Ron. Now shove off Malfoy."

I pushed my way out, and headed to the dining hall. There was something different about Malfoy. His hair had become more disheveled in a good sort of way and when he smirked, butterflies would appear. Oh what am I saying? This is _Malfoy _we're talking about. The spoilt, irritating pureblood who has been making your life miserable ever since you met him. There's no way Malfoy could make you feel this way.

I shook the thought out of my head as I accelerated into the dining hall, where I found my three best friends waiting for me by the Gryffindor table. I waved and called out to them, stepping closer until I was stopped by a certain high-pitched call.

"WON-WON!"I heard Lavender shriek.

She scrambled over to Ron, almost knocking me out. She gave him big sloppy smooches and shoved Harry over to sit next to him. So what Malfoy said was true… _Ronald had gone back to Lavender.  
_I approached them slowly; greeting them inaudibly and took my place next to Ginny as nonchalantly as I could. Ginny gave me a sympathetic look as she could tell how I was feeling. Harry and I both exchanged hellos and began to eat our breakfast. Gin, Harry and I built up a conversation and described each other's break. It was quite difficult to communicate since my eyes kept drifting back to Lavender and Ron. Harry seemed to notice and gave me a reassuring look. I looked him in the eye and gave him a grateful smile as I continued munching on my toast.

I kept my mind preoccupied while Ginny and Harry discussed their holiday away from each other. With surprise, my mind deliberately wandered off and I fixed my gaze at the Slytherin table, in search of Malfoy and his gang. There I saw him sitting at the end of the table, munching away.

_He looked up and our eyes locked, staring at each other just for a moment…_

*** Sorry this one was quite long. Kind of got engrossed into writing haha! Next chapter will have more Dramione in it as this one just introduced Draco. Thanks for reading and look out for the next chapter! :)**


	3. Chapter 3 The Flirt

Classes seem to drag on but at last, free period came. I memorised half of my timetable that Professor McGonagall had given out so I knew after free period, that left Potions with Professor Slughorn and Herbology with Professor Sprout. I smiled with delight knowing that Draco was in both of those classes. Ugh Malfoy, again. And this time I actually called him Draco, in my own head! It was probably because I bumped into him today, that's why I can't get him out of my head.

During free period I headed off to the library and curled up into one of the cushioned chairs towards the back. This was my favourite place to spend time and read. I picked out a new book called "Ten Chapters of Standard Potion Making" and began to read, perched up by the glass window. Now and then I'd look out the sustained window and see the Gryffindor Quidditch Team already training for their next match.

Free period was nearly over but I was so enthralled by my new book, I didn't realise. I also didn't realise that someone was sitting on the chair opposite me and when I glanced up, I choked.

"Better hurry off to class Granger or you'll be late." Malfoy teased.

"Says you. You know you'll be late too." I laughed.

Malfoy grinned. I noticed that he took his robes off and underneath he wore a plain white top which brought out the muscle tone on his body. Malfoy caught me staring and looked amused.

We sat there for a while longer, then he stood up, shot out his hand and said, "Come on Granger, we don't want to be late on the first day."

I stared at him, dumbfounded, not knowing whether or not I was supposed to take his hand. Malfoy recognised the shock written all over my face, and murmured something about the cat getting my tongue. I took his hand and he pulled me up. Both of us didn't let go immediately, he let go when he became aware of what he was still doing. Malfoy and I absconded out of the library and walked to Potions class. I followed him by the heel and caught a whiff of his nifty cologne. We rocked up to class just in the nick of time and shuffled to our seats, exchanging no eye contact or smiles.

Ginny saw the whole thing in awe and gave me a 'you-owe-me-an-explanation' look. I nodded and turned to face Professor Slughorn for the start of class. Half way through the lesson, Slughorn's voice began to drain out and my mind started to wander. What happened at the library was completely perplexing but it wasn't a bad thing. It almost felt wonderful and I prayed that it would happen again.

"Miss Granger," I heard Professor say. I jumped abruptly out of my seat and orbited around to face Professor Slughorn.

"Y-yes, Professor?" I stammered.

Professor glanced at me with both eyes and said…

"_Your partner for this assignment will be Draco Malfoy."_

*** Yay for Dramione! Thanks to everyone who's reading, which I doubt would be many. Again, all characters belong to J.K Rowling. Next chapter will be up soon, as always :)**


	4. Chapter 4 Easier Said Than Done

My head started to spin. _Your partner for this assignment will be Draco Malfoy._ I could still hear the words ringing in my head. My stomach was filled with so many butterflies, I didn't dare look up. When class was over I hustled out of the room and took off, before Ginny or Malfoy could grab hold of me.

I didn't return to the Gryffindor Common Room until dusk. I ensconced myself out by the lake for the whole day. Before I could reach the Fat Lady and declaim the Gryffindor password, a set of feet stopped me. I looked up and saw Malfoy's face staring back at me.

_Great, just the person I wanted to see._

"What is it, Malfoy?" I questioned roughly.

Malfoy shuffled his feet. "Well, I was wondering… maybe you'd want to discuss some ideas for the assignment Slughorn paired us up for… tomorrow after classes?"

A face of utter shock emerged. Malfoy wanted to hang out? Sure, it was just about the assignment and that was all there was to it but this was surely something different. When I didn't respond, he looked down at his feet and bit his lip, twirling the ends of his Slytherin scarf. This was almost a little too nerve-wracking.

"Uh, yeah sure. Why not?" I finally replied.

Malfoy's face lit up. "Great, meet by the stairs?"

"Sounds good." I smiled.

For a while, an awkward silence dawned on us and none of us knew what to do next. Finally, Malfoy nodded briskly and scattered back to the Slytherin dorms. I stood there, as frozen as a statue. My stomach transformed into a volcano and erupted inside of me. I mumbled the password and scurried into my dorm room, making soundless steps so I wouldn't wake up anyone. Then, I flopped onto my bed and stared into the sky. _A whole day with Draco… _I beamed mentally and twisted to the other side of the bed, drifting off to sleep with only one boy on my mind…

**Draco's POV:**

Crap, I just asked Granger out on a homework date. _A homework freaking date. _Who even does that? Still, this puts me one step ahead. Blaise reckons I've gotten softer after the war and he's probably right. So, we made a bet to see just how strong I can be and that included asking Granger out on a date. Now Blaise was one step closer to doing a deadly deed that I had planned for him. This seemed a bit easier than expected. I rolled over in my bed and thought about tomorrow. All I'm doing is discussing ideas with Granger about our assignment and accomplishing my dare with Blaise. _It wasn't like I was going to fall for her, right?_

*** This chapter was a bit cliché in Hermione's POV haha! Hope it's not getting too boring, after all, every chapter leads to something more big :D  
Next chapter will be posted soon :) **


	5. Chapter 5 First Date

I woke up to a furry ball on top of face. Sure Crookshanks, just sit on me while I sleep. Discreetly, I situated Crookshanks down on my bedside, hoping that he wouldn't claw my face. I capered out of bed immediately and got dressed, wearing one of Ginny's favourite attire underneath my cloak. Then, I popped into the dining hall, ready for another day of breakfast and classes.

Classes went by swimmingly. I aced our mini pop quiz and managed to create a draft of Felix Felicis. It soon dawned on me that I was to meet Malfoy in half an hour by the stairs. Merlin.. what do I say when I see him? Should I just get right into our assignment ideas or wait till he brings it up? Oh why am I getting so fussed about this? It's not like I've never had a conversation with him before.

I mentally slapped myself for getting so worked up and left the dorms to meet Malfoy by the stairs. When I arrived, Malfoy was already waiting there. When he saw me, he stood up and gave a huff.

"Took you long enough," he said in annoyance.

"Calm down Malfoy, you said to come after classes and I did. Now quit your complaining or I may have second thoughts about coming here."

We walked out to the lake in utter silence. Once we arrived by the slim oak tree, he sat down and laid on the grass, staring into the sky. I did the same. We laid there for a while before starting the brainstorming. I peered over at Malfoy and admired the way his chest moved up and down, breathing in a rhythmic pattern.

"Take a picture Granger, it'll last longer."

I blushed a deep crimson shade and turned away. Malfoy chuckled and sat up languidly, and while doing so, accidentally touched the tip of my fingers with his own. I flushed an even darker shade of red. _Who knew the Slytherin Prince could give me butterflies?_ He quickly pulled away, obviously acknowledging what just happened. Malfoy cleared his throat.

"Should we get started then?" He asked briskly.

I nodded and began planting several ideas into his head. The assignment was to create a draft of a new potion. I do admit it might've been a bit too difficult of a task for him to handle. Malfoy read my mind and grinned. He leaned into me and whispered in my ear, "I'm more talented than you think… _Hermione_." The whisper of his voice sent tingles down my spine. He was so close that I could smell his nifty cologne again. Malfoy drew his head back and laughed. I let go of a breath that I didn't even know I was holding in, and—Wait. Did he just call me Hermione? Malfoy read my mind again and began to blush a light shade of pink.

"Don't get any ideas Granger. _It was a one-time thing_."

*** Hey guys, I decided to stop their "date" here. Sorry if any of you were expecting something more, I promise to make the next few chapters as interesting as I can :D  
All known characters belong to JK Rowling! **


	6. Chapter 6 Infuriating Malfoy

Morning came by pretty quickly. I managed to get a good night's sleep and conjured myself a new set of clothes to wear underneath my robes. Only now, did I just realise that a small note had been folded up and placed on my bedside table. I opened it up and in scrappy handwriting, it read: _'Stay away from him or I'll come to get you.'_  
I lumbered down to breakfast and greeted everyone with smiles and waves. I sat down and picked at my food, my mind too interested in another matter. _Malfoy._ Ugh, why was he always in my head? Yesterday he was pretty infuriating. What I hoped would be a civil time with Malfoy, actually turned into us bickering at every word that came out of our mouths. My deep thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a concerned tone.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Harry asked, worried. "You've barely touched your food."

"Huh? Oh what, yeah I'm fine Harry. Just a bit stressed out from last night's hard studying." I tried my best not to quiver.

Harry didn't seem at all convinced, but sincerely nodded and left me alone to think once again. After taking a few more bites out of my honey drizzled toast, I excused myself from my friends and left, holding a few books in my hand.

**Draco's POV:**

I saw Granger leave the dining hall abruptly and immediately became worried. Where was she running of to now? Hold on, why am I even worried? I shook the thought out of my head but my mind began to wander recklessly. I said good-bye to Blaise and ran down the corridor, frantically searching for the lovely brunette with soft curls. Absconding out of Hogwarts' halls, I ran down to the lake. I didn't know why I was going there; something just told me that she might be there. _And there she was. _I gaped at her while her eyes stared into the sky, looking like she was trying to comprehend something difficult. I took an abysmal breath and approached her cautiously, being careful not to alarm her.

**Hermione's POV:**

My thoughts came to a halt when I heard someone's footsteps approaching. I quickly obtained my wand, but put it back in my robe when Malfoy advanced from behind the trees. I huffed, irritated.

"What do you want now, Malfoy?" I snapped.

Malfoy was stunned. "Well, I thought you'd, I don't know, want some company, but I guess that's not the case… Later, Granger," then he turned to walk off.

"Wait," I called out.

Malfoy circled back around and looked at me with surprise. _Crap, why did I just do that?_ "W-would you like to join me?"

Malfoy shrugged and came to sit beside me. I went back to staring into the sky but I could feel his eyes bore into me.

"'Take a picture Malfoy, it'll last longer.' " I mocked playfully.

Malfoy grinned and studied the pile of books she brought with her. 'Man did this girl like to read.' Malfoy said as I read his mind.

I slightly giggled and looked at him in the eye. His steel, grey eyes gave an electrifying stare back and we just gawked at each other for quite a while. Finally, I decided to look away. The butterflies were going crazy in my stomach and I couldn't control them. Malfoy leaned back onto the grass next to me, and pulled me down with him.

"So," he started to say, completely unaware that he was still holding my hand, "what were you thinking about before? I saw you at breakfast and before you noticed me here. It seemed to bother you a lot considering you didn't much of your breakfast."

I twisted my head to face him. "**You **were watching **me**?"

Malfoy hesitated and turned a light shade of pink. "Well, I don- maybe-yeah. Yeah I was."

I laughed, being able to make him speechless. Then, I spilled my guts about the note I found on my bed side table and how I didn't know who it was from and what it was talking about.

"Typical of you to be so curious," Malfoy muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what was _that_?" I questioned sharply.

"I just said that it was typical of you to always get so caught up in something as small as this. I mean, it was just a note. It could just be a slight misunderstanding. The way your mind wanders at such tiny matters…." He drifted off.

I scoffed and jumped up hastily.

"Well it's typical of YOU to always think these thoughts!" I retaliated.

I picked up my books and stormed away, red in the face. I can't believe that after all this time, he still hasn't changed one bit. I even let him in on a secret that only HE knew! Ugh, he is so infuriating!

I ran back to the dormitory, passing many students along the way and slammed my door shut. Finally, no noise, no drama and definitely _no Malfoy._ I sighed and picked up my book, continuing my day with studying.

*** Hope this wasn't too long for you! There was a lot of dialogue so.. yeah c:  
Writing the next chapter right now. Will be filled with surprise and shock :D  
****Just want to say thanks for the lovely reviews 3**  



	7. Chapter 7 Behind The Pillar

There was a sudden knock on the door that made me jump in my lonesome room. I crawled off my bed and twisted the doorknob. Oh thank God, it was only Ginny. I ushered her in and we sat on the bed.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" She asked. "I saw you run up here before, you looked pretty angry."

I took a long deep sigh. "Yeah, I'm okay now." After a few moments of silence, I told her all about the encounter with Malfoy.

"He-he's just so frustrating!" I wailed, throwing my hands up in the air.

The whole time Ginny stared at me like a lunatic. Then she bursted into a fit of giggles.

"What is so funny, Gin?!"I hollered.

Ginny settled down and wiped a tear from her eye. "Well if I didn't know better, I'd say you have a little crush on Malfoy." She teased.

"WHAT? I MOST CERTAINLY DO _**NOT**_ HAVE A CRUSH ON MALFOY. ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO!"

"Alright alright, keep your hair on." Ginny orated. "I was merely suggesting-"

I sighed and nodded. After a few minutes of catching up, I told her I was going to take a walk and she let me go. I skipped down the stairs and walked a fast pace, keeping my head low and taking an odd interest at the floor. _Maybe I was overreacting_, I thought, _maybe-_

Oof! I bumped into a stiff figure and tumbled back, expecting to crash. However, I didn't. The person I bumped into ran back and caught me mid-air and saved me from tumbling down into a pool of utter humiliation.

I rubbed my sore head and looked up. "Thank yo- oh. _Malfoy._" I scowled.

"Now now is that a way to thank your saviour?" He smirked.

I jumped out of his grasp and an awkward silence dawned on us again. "Listen Granger," Malfoy said. "I apologise about what happened before. I guess I was just so used to teasing you and you know what they say…old habits die hard." He finished off with another smirk.

I flashed a smile. "Even when you're apologising, you can still make someone laugh while doing so."

"Wanna go for a walk?" he asked ineptly. I agreed and we spent the rest of the day getting to know each other. Soon, I noticed that the sun began to set. So did Malfoy. It was starting to get pretty dark so we decided to head back. Malfoy grabbed my hand and lifted me up. This time, he didn't let it go. He held onto it until we got back to our own dorms. To my surprise his hand wasn't cold and icy, it was actually warm and his soft skin felt nice against mine. I mentally slapped myself for thinking of such absurd thoughts.

When we arrived in front of my dorm room, it was way past curfew and we had to try devise a plan to sneak me in without getting caught. I turned to Malfoy about to tell him to leave when he looked at me with alarmed eyes. There were sounds of several footsteps approaching. Malfoy pulled me behind a pillar and we waited for the footsteps to pass.

When they had gone, I only just realised how close my body was to him. I peeled away from Malfoy's arms but he pulled me back in. He held me close and wrapped his arms around my waist. Butterflies were swarming inside my tummy. What was the boy playing at? First he's the self-absorbed prick I've known for the past 7 years of my life and then he opens up to a completely new personality. This wizard is doing my head in real bad.

"Malfoy, what are you playing at?" I hissed. He didn't reply and just smirked.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you answer me right now or ill –" Suddenly he pressed his lips against mine and left me in a new state of shock. Fireworks exploded inside of me and made my insides melt. The kiss was so passionate and captivating I lost control and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt my whole body tingle at the sensation his lips. His arms wrapped around my body and he held me even closer than we already were. Finally, we broke apart and he laid his forehead against mine. He was breathing heavily as his steel grey eyes stared into mine.

"_Good night Granger," he whispered with a wink, leaving me stunned and breathless for the rest of the night._

*** Yay! They finally kiss! Hahah, writing my next chapter as soon as possible. Please R&R 3**


	8. Chapter 8 Suspicions And Aftereffects

**Draco's POV:**

Rapidly, I shut the door behind me and collapsed onto my bed. My lips still tingled fiercely and my heart was beating fast. This was never supposed to happen. I was just supposed to ask her out on a date and drop her just like that. _God dammit Draco, you're a Slytherin. Get a hold of yourself. _I took an abysmal, extended sigh and oscillated on my bed, having difficulty drifting off to sleep. Do I like Granger? No, that was impossible. It can't be true. I shook the thought out of my head and drifted off into a deep slumber, respiring only one word: _Granger_…

**Hermione's POV: **

My eyes flashed wide open and I let out a slight gasp. I sat upright instantaneously still in bed and couldn't believe myself. _I was dreaming about Draco Malfoy. _This was **not** happening. It couldn't be. It just couldn't. I let out a frustrated sigh and ran my hands through my dark sienna curls. Breakfast was not something I was looking forward to.

_I can't take my eyes off him… Why Hermione why? _I focused on my food and furrowed my brows, hoping to look interested in what I had in front of me. Trying extremely hard to not make eye contact has got to be one of the most difficult tasks I've ever had to accomplish. I glanced up and goggled over his explicit blonde hair that framed around his face.

Hermione's looking at me. I can't stare away from her gaze…

I can't stop gawking at those steel grey eyes…

Everything about her screams perfection…

Finally, I jumped out of my chair fleetly, astonished at how fast I did it. Everyone else at the table looked at me with blank faces. I excused myself immediately and hurried out of the dining hall, not caring to look back. My heart was pacing. Why does he have to capture my attention all the time?! I scoffed to myself and made my way to the lake. I dropped down onto the grass, completely exhausted. Suddenly, a piece of paper floated down onto my face. I picked it off delicately and opened it up.  
_"Didn't I say to stay away from him? Don't push it Granger, I won't hold back."  
_Great, another note from God knows who. I buried my head into my knees and sat still. A piece of material unexpectedly wrapped around me, causing me to jump.

"You're going to get cold in this wind," Malfoy said in a concerned tone.

I cocked my head to the side. "Malfoy?" I stuttered.

He gave a heartfelt smile then stared into the distance. I couldn't help but admire the way he looked. He turned to face me and let out a slight breath.

"Hermione…." I sat there completely silent. "About last night's… event-" I cut him off there.

"I know, you got caught up into the moment and it didn't mean a thing." Damn, why do I sound like such a dork? "Don't worry, I get it. Thanks for the company but I've really got to get going."

And just like that I scurried all the way into the Gryffindor Common Room. When I entered the room, three blank faces were gaping at me.

"Oh hey Harry… hey Ron… hey Gin, how's it going?" I tried my hardest not to stammer.

"We were wondering how **you** were going," Ron gritted through his teeth.

Harry lightly shoved Ron's shoulder, as a signal to control his temper.

"Everything's fine," I said coolly. "I'm off to bed, good night you three." I hurried up to my room subsequently before any of them could utter a word.

***Hey! :D  
So this one wasn't very interesting but I wasn't feeling up to it when I was writing it. Sorry ~  
Will make it up to you guys, way more Dramione coming up in the next few chapters. Thanks for reading and please R&R :3**


	9. Chapter 9 The Best Friend Knows

As soon as Harry, Ginny and Ron heard the light slam on Hermione's door, they all turned to each other, faces gaping like clueless fish.

"She's hiding something from us," Ron glowered, trying to keep his temper intact.

"Why are you being so uptight?" Ginny asked examining his beetroot coloured face. "It's not like she has to tell you everything, you're not together anymore, _remember_?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah Gin's right, whenever she's ready, she'll tell us."

Ron muttered under his breath. Ginny stood up and brushed down her robe. "I'm going up there to talk to 'Mione. You guys have fun. Night."

**Hermione's POV:**

I hurtled onto bed and slowly closed my eyes. I grabbed one of my violet coloured pillows, gripped it tight and sunk my head into it. Before I could dive into a sleep slumber, there was a nimble knock at the door. I stood up and turned the doorknob to find my best friend standing in the doorway. I let her in and we mounted onto the bed.

Before I could opine, Ginny told me to sit still as she ran her fingers through her red hair.  
"Alright, spill it."

Before I knew it everything divulged. When I got up to last night's recent events, I paused and contemplated myself.  
"And then… he kissed me."

Ginny's eyes became immense. "HE DID WHAT?"  
I didn't repeat myself and gazed down, feeling completely embarrassed.

"Hermione, that is so cute! You and Malfoy!" Ginny teased with a playful look.

Blood rushed to my cheeks.

"Go! Go find him right now and apologise for today." She said suddenly.

"W-what?" I was baffled.

"You are not letting someone as handsome and as charming as him to walk away."

"Ginny!" My face became a dark crimson. She grinned then pushed me out of my own room, locking me out. So, I fled to the only place that popped into my head. I walked out of the hallways and towards the lake, hoping that _he_ might be there.

When I reached the lake, the moonlight was bright and made the clear water glisten. However, the tree area was already occupied. I tip-toed over, hoping that I didn't alarm the person already there. It was too late. I stepped on a twig and it made a crackling sound. The mysterious figure turned around sharply and I choked.

_In front of me stood a man with white-blonde messy hair that glistened in the moonlight and in his hand, he held a single, rich-red rose._

***Sorry for the short chapter! Will post another one in a bit to make up for it. Thanks for reading and for the reviews :)**


	10. Chapter 10 All About Ron

My hands became sweaty and it was hard to breathe. Malfoy made his way over and led me to the familiar brown oak tree. My heart was beating fast. I didn't know what to say or how to react. Malfoy finally broke the silence and stared into my chestnut coloured orbs. His light musky smell sent chills down my spine.

"I was waiting for you, but I didn't know that you'd actually come," he said, eyes twinkling. He smiled and his face turned pink.

Draco took a deep breath and continued.  
"Hermione…" he started off. "I know this wasn't meant to happen and it probably wasn't planned. But, I can't seem to stay away from you. Your company brightens up my day and I can't go a day without thinking about you. I-"

"HERMIONE!" I heard another voice yell conspicuously.

My head oscillated abruptly, disappointed that someone had interrupted our talk. At that moment, I drew in my breath sharply at a loss for words.

"R-Ron…" I couldn't help but seem confounded. "What are you doing here?"

Ron purposely ignored my question and drew his wand out at Draco. "What, are you doing here, Malfoy?" he spat.

Draco tightened his fist, and then let it loose. "I was having a very interesting conversation with Granger until you came along."

Ron glared at me with fury. "Hermione, what are you doing here with _him_?"

I rolled my eyes. "Is it a crime to be talking at this time of the night?"

Ron lost it. "HERMIONE, HE'S A DEATHEATER. YOU CAN'T TRUST HIM!"

"Ex-deatheater," I corrected. "Besides Ronald, I don't see why you care so much. Shouldn't you be more concerned about your lovely Lavender? I don't see what this has got to do with you."

"Hermione, I'm your best friend! You can't expect me to just lie around doing nothing while you and Malfoy have your little chit-chats. _He's dangerous." _He asserted the last part vigorously.

"Ron, these pasts few weeks how do you expect me to believe that you've been a friend? How can you expect me to think that after you and Lavender have rubbed your little relationship in my face! Just because you've moved on, doesn't mean I have." My eyes filled with tears and there was a lump in my throat.

"I still care," he replied. Then he turned his head sharply at Draco. Without looking back at me, he declared, "Go back inside."

I stood there, clueless. I stared into Draco's grey eyes and began to walk away. Before I could walk any further, Draco yelled out to me.

"Hermione, just because Ron's here it doesn't mean it can stop me from what I'm about to say. I think I'm in love with you and – "

Draco never got to finish. Ron's fist connected to Draco's flawless face and made him crash to the ground.

"Oh my God Ron! What has gotten into you?"

Before I could stop myself, I ran to Draco's side and helped him up.

"What are you doing Hermione?" Ron roared. "He's lying. He's trying to manipulate you."

"Ron! For once, just stay out of it! You left me after the war so I don't see how you get a say in my love life. You're overreacting. Just go back to bed."

With that, I stormed off with Draco and headed to Madam Pomfrey. I didn't dare look back at Ron. When I arrived at my destination, I placed Draco on a chair and waited while Madam Pomfrey went to his aid and healed his face.

"That was a pretty strong blow for a Weasley," Draco said with a childish grin.

I shook my head and we walked out to the dark hallways. When it was time for both of us to depart, I ushered Draco away but he didn't move. Instead, he leaned in and whispered in my ear,

"I meant what I said before. I think I loved you before the war. It just took me this long to realise." He paused. "I'll come by the Gryffindor common room tomorrow. I think we have some explaining to do with Potter."

_He kissed me on the cheek and strolled off, leaving me alone with only the sound of night._

***So this one was a tad cheesy but ye. :D  
So I've realised that when I post the chapters, they remove all the signs/symbols that separate the different parts of the story; sorry! **Thanks to . .dragons :D **Still thinking of how to make the next chapter interesting so you guys won't fall asleep while reading it. Thanks for your support! sapphire-lights x**


	11. Chapter 11 The Talk

It was way past dawn when my violet blanket got dragged off my bed, leaving me to shiver in the cold. I opened one eye scarcely to find Ginny standing by the bedpost, tapping her foot impatiently. She has her hands on her hips and her left eyebrow raised. I sat up drowsily, rubbing my eye to adjust to the vibrant sun through the clear glass windows.

"Come on lazybones, Professor McGonagall has called everyone into the hall for an announcement. You best get prepared quickly, we are expected to arrive in 15 minutes."

I ran my fingers through my hair and sat on the edge of the bed.  
"Alright I'll be right down."  
Ginny nodded and advanced out of the room, waiting for me outside. As I ambled to the bathroom, my mind drifted back to last night's recent events. I sighed as I brushed my thick caramel curls. _Looks like our talk with Harry will have to wait_.

When I arrived at the hall, Ginny and I were greeted by Neville and Luna. I got a slight nod and smile from Harry. I sighed. He obviously knew that I had been hiding something from him. As for Ron, he didn't acknowledge me once. I rolled my eyes and went to take my seat. A few minutes passed when Professor McGonagall stood up. A sudden hush fell over the room and students beholded at their Headmistress.

"I have called you here today to discuss an important matter," Prof. McGonagall started in her familiar high-pitched tone. "As you all know, we lost our finest Headmaster a few years ago. The Ministry was going over Professor Dumbledore's last will this morning and they have made note that his last wish was to have a grand ball to lighten up our spirits."

A wave of murmurs began to betide over the crowd and the girls gave each other excited and ecstatic faces. Professor McGonagall raised her hand as a signal for silence.

"Now, I have decided to place the ball next Saturday. It will be a masquerade ball, please come in your best costumes and bring a date if you wish. I shall look forward to seeing you all."

With that, she stood up, nodded and left. Squeals of excitement from the girls erupted in the hall. The boys, however, moaned and dug their heads into their chests. I looked over at the Slytherin table and Draco gave me a wink. I circulated back to the Gryffindor table straight away and held my head down in embarrassment. A rough nudge in the shoulders caused me to jump and look around in alarm. Ginny was signalling me to head towards the Gryffindor Common Room. I reluctantly followed, knowing what was about to come.

I arrived in the Gryffindor Common Room to find a frustrated yet confused Harry sitting by the fireplace. Once he caught sight of me, he stood up and threw his hand in the air.

"What is going on, Hermione?" he asked with a huff.

Ginny eyed him carefully. "Sit and listen," she demanded. _Boy was she fierce._

I took a seat next to him and began to speak.

"Harry…" I quivered. "Well, I don't really know where to begin."

"Just begin from the very beginning," Harry said. He gave me a comforting smile which reassured me.

So, I did. I started from the very beginning of when I bumped into Draco all the way till I reached last night's events with Ron. When I told him about Ron, he shook his head

"That boy never learned to control his temper," he mumbled.

Once I was done talking, Ginny brought Draco into the room and he sat next to me. His body was touching mine, causing me to agitate. I took a deep breath and inhaled his sweet body cologne.

Draco sensed that I was feeling nervous and put his arm around my waist. I gave him a weak smile and he smiled in return. While Harry was trying to make sense of all this, my stomach was in a knot and butterflies were swarming around inside.

Not before long, the affluent gold door opened and in strolled a chirpy redheaded boy. His smile instantly disappeared when he saw Draco. His face immediately turned red when he saw Draco's arm around my waist. Of course, Harry knew better. He held Ron back, keeping him from hurting Draco again.

"Let go of me, Harry!" Ron hollered.

"No Ron, stop!"

The constant arguing between Harry and Ron caused quite a commotion. Draco helped me up and Ginny casted a stupefy spell in between them. Luckily it missed and caused them to stop.

"Right. Harry, Ron, both of you sit. Draco, Hermione, you may leave. And 'Mione, we're going shopping tomorrow for the ball next week. No excuses."

I nodded and hurried out of the room with Draco. He looked at me with longing eyes.

"I never knew Ginny could be so tough." He laughed. I smiled at the fact that he called Ginny by her actual name; he actually has changed, for good.

"So, what do you say? How about going somewhere a little more private for the day?" He whispered into my ear. His voice sent tingles down my spine. I agreed and he led me away, letting me forget all of my problems.

Ginny gyrated immediately as soon as she heard the doors close.

"Ron, I have never been so disappointed in you!" She roared.

"Gee _Mum_, what did I do now?" Ron rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Ronald Weasley! What has gotten into you? Your best friend has now moved on from _you_ –and she emphasised the 'you'- and you're not letting her! So what if it's Malfoy? If you can date someone as annoying as Lavender, I'm sure Hermione can date someone like Malfoy."

"Draco doesn't deserve her!" Ron yelled back. "He. Doesn't. Deserve. Her."

"Oh and I suppose you do? Honestly Ron, you are so selfish. You left Hermione ages ago to get back with _Lavender_. Lavender, you hear me? LAVENDER BROWN. Hermione was the best thing that happened to you and you just tossed her away like she was nothing."

Ginny was completely red in the face. She then turned to Harry. "I hope you can support Hermione."  
She stormed up to her bedroom and slammed the door.

Ron yelled in frustration and plopped down next to Harry.

"Harry, do you really support Hermione and _him_?" He didn't dare say his filthy name.

Harry stuttered. "Well uhm Ron, I see no reason to be discouraging. It really does seem like Malfoy has changed. I'm curious though, why do you care so much?"

Ron began to feel ashamed. "Harry, I don't know. I'm still with Lavender although I haven't seen her lately and she really is a piece of work. Harry I'm confused. I- I think, I'm still in love with Hermione."

***Hey guys, sorry for not updating quickly. Hope this chapter is interesting enough for you! Thanks for the reviews and I have taken your advice to try make the chapters longer. Will update soon, I promise :) sapphire-lights x**


	12. Chapter 12 Cinderella

When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't covered up in my usual adequate blankets. I was sleeping on something better. I looked up and saw Draco still fast asleep, his chest moving up and down from taking soft calm breaths. His arm was wrapped around my body, keeping me close. I smiled at the sight of him and looked around. Then I remembered what happened yesterday.

After Draco and I left the Gryffindor Common Room, he took me by the hand and dragged me up to the watchtower. There, we talked for hours, not bothering to realise how late it got.  
"I guess that's why we fell asleep here," I thought.  
I sat up on one of the steps and straightened out my clothing. As I stood up, Draco was beginning to awaken from his slumber. He stood up and grabbed me by the waist.

"Morning Hermione," he purred into my ear. He turned me around and kissed me lightly on the lips. I blushed and turned away. Suddenly I remembered the shopping date I had with Ginny.

"Merlin!" I cried. "I've got to meet Gin!"  
I began casting a bunch of spells to get me ready. I only had 10 minutes before I had to meet Ginny at Hogsmeade. Draco watched me fuss about amusingly with his captivating smirk. I ran here and there before I could finally head out. "I've got to go," I yelled to Draco. "See you later."

When I arrived at Hogsmeade, Ginny was already there. She had a very mischievous grin on her face.

"Sorry I'm late Gin, I got caught up."

Ginny nodded casually and said, "Oh no worries. As long as you're here." Then she paused. "Hermione, I do recall you not showing up last night in the Gryffindor Common Room. Did you lose track of time studying?" She smiled cheekily.

_Crud, I've been caught._ Ginny continued. "Or… did you lost track of time because of a certain **somebody**?" I lightly punched her in the shoulder.

"Nothing happened," I replied. I could feel my face heating up. "Let's just get this shopping thing over and done with."

Ginny laughed and agreed. First we went to Hogsmeade then apparated to Diagon Alley. We browsed through many well-known stores. Ginny already found her costume; it was a light blue dress with a bit of lace, perfect to match with her Chesire Cat mask. Ginny was going completely "Alice in Wonderland" for the ball. I lent her the novel of _Alice in Wonderland_ a few weeks ago and she fell in love with it immediately. However, as we passed many stores, I still had no idea what to wear for the Ball. We finally arrived at a new shop opened in the corner of Diagon Alley. Gin and I both decided to check it out as we were running out of places to go to. In there, Ginny ran away at once to a rack of dresses. I circled around many shelves, uninterested, tracing my finger along the edge of each shelf.

Suddenly, an impetuous scream made everyone bounce right into the air.  
"HERMIONE HERMIONE, COME HERE!" Ginny squealed.

"Shh Ginny! You're drawing too much attention to us," I whispered.

"Oh shush and look!" She pointed towards one of the dresses in the rack she was looking in.

The dress was the most exquisite dress I ever saw. The design was flawless. It was white and the hem was cut down so it'd fit just above the knee. I was so mesmerised by it that I didn't realise the shop assistant standing next to me.

"It's my finest piece," she said. I jumped nervously and smiled. Ginny was in a fit of uncontrollable giggles. "If you're interested, I have the perfect mask for it if you'd like to see."

"Oh that'd be lovely, thank you," I replied. She then led me to the front counter and pointed her slim finger above a white mask. The mask also caught my attention.

"I can pack them both in a bag for you now if you'd like," the shop lady said.

Before I could utter a word, Ginny pushed me over like a bulldozer and grinned. "We'll take them!"  
The shop assistant beamed and we were out of there as soon as possible, with the costume all ready in a bag.

"Ginny, why did you get that costume? I thought you already had one."

"Oh Hermione, it's for you, silly!" She expressed all of her joy into her words.

I was stunned. "M-me? But I…."

"Oh hush you," she interrupted. "This is perfect for you! You can be that girl from the muggle story you told me about. What was it again? Cin… Chinder…"

"Cinderella?"

"That's the one. And who knows, at the ball someone might goggle over your perfection. Oh I don't know… someone with bright grey eyes… white-blond hair…."

"Ginny!" I pouted and she went into another fit of uncontrollable giggles. I laughed with her and we both agreed to head back to Hogwarts, before it got too dark.

The day of the Ball soon came around and everyone was buzzing. Ginny, Harry and Ron were all discussing their costumes and such. I sighed and looked out of the window. After I came home from shopping with Ginny, I didn't get to see Draco. In fact, there was no sight of him all week. Ginny comforted me though. "He'll come to the ball tonight," she said. "I know he will."

"So Hermione, what are you going as?" Harry asked, interrupting my cloud of thoughts.

Ginny gave me a hush. "No way Hermione, you're not giving away your identity. They'll just have to see you when you get there tonight."

"Aww Ginnnn," Harry complained. I smiled at how much fun things have been with everyone. Of course, Ron and I haven't spoken but we still manage to stay together as a group, without being civil to one another.

Suddenly, Ginny grabbed me by the arm and said to everyone, "Sorry guys but we must be leaving. Hermione and I have to get ready."

Everyone said their good byes and we went up the stairs towards my bedroom. Ginny let go of my arm and I ran away. I jumped onto my fluffy violet blanket and dug my head in.

"Oh get up you lazy donkey," she ordered. I lifted my head up and giggled. Ginny ran her hands through her long red hair.

"_Right," she said, "let's get you ready for the ball, shall we?"_

**Hey guys ~  
Hope you like the story so far. Sorry about only having little Dramione parts. Next chapter's about the ball, yay! Thanks for your support and sorry if there are any grammar mistakes T_T sapphire-lights x**


	13. Chapter 13 The Ball Part I

Everyone was crowding around in the Great Hall for the ball. Students were all dressed up in their alluring costumes smiling and having a good time. It seemed to be one of the brightest moments of our year so far; the look on everyone's faces seemed to tell you so.

As Ginny made the finishing touches on my costume, she stood back with satisfaction.

"Well, look at you!" She observed me carefully with an approving smile.

I felt my cheeks heat up. I smiled down at the ground and shuffled my feet nervously. I sat on the edge of my bed as Ginny got ready for the Ball too. It was different being in a dress; normally my usual attire would consist of some casual jeans and a t-shirt. But it felt good to be out of those clothes for a while. A sudden clap made me look up from where I was. Ginny beamed at me.

"Ready to go?" she asked. I nodded my head and we set forth for the Masquerade Ball.

When we arrived, Ginny turned to me and kept her head low.

"Okay," she whispered, "I'll go in first and then you go in a few minutes after. I want to see who will recognise you."

She stood up straight, brushed down her gown and waltzed into the hall with grace. I counted to 60 then took a deep breath, before making my way in after her. As soon as I made a step inside, all eyes laid on me. I heard loud gasps and many gazes were drawn to me. "She's gorgeous!" I would hear people say. I blushed fiercely before making my way to Ginny. When I was only a few steps behind the table, Harry stepped forth and pulled me into a corner.

"Looking very beautiful there Hermione."

I took off my mask. "Harry! How'd you know it was me?"

Harry grinned. "I would know my best friend anywhere, no matter what she's wearing."

I flashed a smile before putting my mask back on and heading back to the crowd, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Only a few hours had passed and I was already getting bored into my depths. I danced with a couple of students but none of them recognised me. I sat at the table quietly, tracing my finger around the tip of the glass cup. Over at the dance floor, Harry and Ginny were dancing the night away. "At least Gin's having fun," I thought. I searched for a hint of white-blond hair in the crowd but not a speck was seen. Obviously becoming very bored I examined everyone's costumes. Luna was dressed in a lovely yellow dress. She brought her childhood friend, Matthew, as her date to the ball. Matthew had a tough childhood being known as the 'peasant boy' his whole life. Luna helped him get over it by helping him get a job as a Necromancer.

There were many people dressed as Dumbledore and others just had on a mix of random coloured clothing. There was one person, however, who I didn't know. His mask covered his whole face and he was wearing a fine black suit. It was hard to see any other features from the angle that I was in.

Suddenly, the mysterious boy caught my eye and began making his way towards me. I twisted around, back to facing the table. The boy came closer and tapped me on the shoulders.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked politely.

I nodded and let him take me away. We were dancing for a while, but I was distracted. _Where was Draco?_ I thought. I turned my head back and finally looked the boy straight in his eyes. I gasped and stumbled backwards. He caught me by the arm and helped me regain my balance. I was still stunned as I stared… into his steel grey eyes and white-blond hair.

As soon as Draco knew he'd been caught, he dragged me away to the lake and placed a _muffliato_ charm around the area.

"Draco!" I became hesitant. "W-where have you been all week?"

He sighed. "I took some time off." I stared at him with my head cocked, waiting for him to elaborate. "Well you know those notes you've been getting? I've been getting them too. Expect, they would say things more like _Why are you with the mudblood_ and all that."

I cringed at the word _mudblood._ Draco gazed at me and dropped his head down.

"Sorry, I didn't want to say that word ever. Blood status doesn't matter anymore."

I nodded and waited for him to go on.

"For the past week, I've been looking into this business. It's not something major but I saw the way it affected you and played with your brain. I was able to trace the notes and back to where it first came from… I know who's been sending us these notes."

"Well…" I said quietly. "Who was it?"

There was a slight pause before he finally told me who it was. "Pansy Parkinson."

I snorted. "Pansy? That loathsome little school drop-out? Oh then we've got nothing to worry about then, don't we?"

Draco shook his head. "You don't understand Hermione. While I was researching into this, I've also found out that Pansy's been accommodating with deatheaters that are still followers of Voldemort. She's become more dangerous after she dropped out of Hogwarts and apparently, she still has feelings for me."

A lump in my throat began to rise. "What about you? Do you still… have feelings for her?"

Draco looked taken aback. "No! Of course not! I was only dating her because my parents and her parents had this whole future planned out for us, which changed after the war."

I nodded and didn't say another word. Draco walked up to me and took hold of my hands.

"Hermione, all I'm saying is that we should be more discreet about this relationship that we have."

I smirked. "Oh so now you admit that it's a relationship?"

Draco looked defeated. "Yes, alright, I do."

I smiled at him and he took a step closer to me. Then, he took off his mask and placed his lips on mine. My body melted at the touch of his lips. I could feel him grinning as he stepped back and put his mask back on.

"Shall we get back to the ball?" he asked.

I nodded and we walked back, hand in hand, unaware of the uncomfortable gaze of Ron lurking behind them.

***I think I made Ron seem a bit creepy in the last sentence but oh well~  
I'm splitting this night into two chapters; sorry if this disappoints anyone! This chapter was just a bit of explaining but I promise in the next chapter, there will be a whole lot more of Dramione + Ron. All known characters belong to the lovely JK Rowling :)**


	14. Chapter 14 The Ball Part II

When Draco and I arrived back at the Ball, everything was normal, as always. Everyone was oblivious to the fact that we even left. Draco took my hand.

"Care for another dance?"

I grinned and nodded. He led me out to the dance floor and we blended in with the swarming crowd of dancing couples. We didn't dance for very long a sudden tap on my shoulder cause us to stop. I turned around to find an irritated Ron glaring at Draco.

"Hermione, could I talk to you?"

"Sure," I replied.

Ron didn't move and continued glaring. "I meant…. a_lone._"

I nodded to him before turning around back to Draco. I lightly pecked him on the nose and mouthed "it's okay". I could see the slight unnerving feeling that Draco had but he agreed to let me go. I turned back to Ron and followed him into a corner, away from the boisterous music. When Ron stopped, he didn't say anything and just stared at the wall.

I put my hands on my hips. "Well?" He didn't reply. I huffed.

"If you're going to say something Ronald, then just say it."

Ron continued to stay silent. "I knew this was a waste of time," I thought. As I turned to walk away, Ron finally spoke up.

"Wait."

I stopped in my footsteps and waited for another word.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I'm sorry for getting back with Lavender; I broke up with her by the way. I'm sorry for punching the ferret, I- I'm just sorry for everything."

A gush of sympathy washed over me. "I forgive you Ron," I replied, missing my best friend. Thinking that this was the end of the conversation, I gave him a hug and began to walk away.

Ron grabbed my hand. "Hermione wait. Doesn't this mean anything to you? I even broke up with Lavender for you."

"Of course it does," I replied confused, "I didn't want to continue being your enemy."

Ron immediately became relieved. "I'm glad." He pulled me closer towards him. Then, out of the blue, he started lowering his head closer to mine making his lips a couple inches away. _Oh no I sent the wrong message to him._ Quickly, I pulled my hand away from his grasp and stared at him, dumbfounded.

"N-no Ron… I-I don't like you in that way," I couldn't stop stammering.

Ron's face turned red. "I thought we were all good now Hermione. I thought that now that I apologised, things could go back to the way they were. Don't tell me that you're going back to that insolent little ferret." His voice became to rise, which attracted attention to nearby students.

"No Ron, you don't understand," I replied. "Things can't go back to the way they were because things change… _people change_."

Ron began to yell. "Hermione you can't go back to him! He's still the enemy! I can't believe you still don't believe that he's trying to manipulate you!" He stomped his foot several times.

I gasped. "Ron I knew you hadn't changed about this! This was all you were trying to do weren't you? Get me running back into your arms like a lost little girl? Well guess what Ron? I'm not going to!"

A crowd had mustered around us while we continued to argue. Draco, Harry and Ginny were at the front, staring at us like a bunch of gaping fish.

"HERMIONE FOR THE BRIGHTEST WITCH OF YOUR AGE, YOU'RE NOT VERY BRIGHT." Ron retaliated. A pang of pain was felt inside of me. "YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE WHAT HE'S DOING TO YOU. YOU'RE IN HIS EVIL LITTLE PLAN. WHY ELSE WOULD HE WANT TO GO NEAR YOU AND YOUR MUDBLOOD GERMS?" Ron roared.

I stumbled backwards and didn't reply. Tears filled my eyes and a massive lump had reached my throat. Ron immediately realised what he'd said.

"No, no Hermione I didn't mean it like that. I would never call you a M…" he drifted off.

I couldn't bear to look into his eyes. Suddenly all the tears came flowing down and I ran. I ran away from the massive crowd and didn't stop. How could Ron, of all people, call me that? Stupid stupid stupid! I thought as I ran with my blurred vision.

**Draco's POV:**

Anger boiled up inside me. That Weaslebee just called her a Mudblood! I could hear Ginny and Harry cursing and yelling at Ron. Suddenly I couldn't help myself. I took off my mask and lunged at that red-headed freak, giving him powerful blows.

"HOW… COULD… YOU…. DO THAT YOU…. BASTARD?" I roared within punches. "GRANGER'S NOW OFF CRYING BECAUSE HER BEST FRIEND CALLED HER THE UNFORGIVABLE. YEAH. SHE THOUGHT YOU WERE HER BEST FRIEND." I continued giving him what he deserved before Harry pulled me off him.

I stood up unsteadily and glared at him. Before I turned away to look for Hermione, I muttered under my breath.

"_What a best friend you turned out to be."_

***Hey guuuys! I know I haven't updated recently; I've had a serious case of writer's block and nothing came into my head. I've also had this annoying headache which caused me to give up trying to write for a few days. Yeah yeah I know you guys were probably wanting something to happen between Draco and Hermione tonight. But you know what else? The night's not over yet ;D**

**Please keep reviewing, I would love to hear what you'd want to happen in the next chapters! ~  
sapphire-lights x**


	15. Chapter 15 The Present

**Draco's POV:**

'Where the hell is that bloody Gryffindor?' I muttered under my breath as my eyes scanned through room after room for the beautiful brunette. My mind was filled with concern after every room I found, empty. Finally, I carried myself up the stairs to the only place left to go.

As I grasped the circular black doorknob and opened the brown arched door leading to the watchtower, I sighed with relief as I saw the curly haired Gryffindor sitting by the window, staring out into space. The sound of the closing door made her jump in alarm, but she gave a light smile once she saw me and turned back to the window. Taking my lead, I ambled to the window and sat beside her. Her light brown curls framed her perfect face, partly covering the fact that she'd been crying. She had puffy eyes and her face was wet with tears. After a few minutes of silence, I took my hand and removed a curl from her face.

She looked up at me with disconsolate eyes and tried to hide her pain. I pulled her in and sat there with her body leaned up against mine. "You don't have to be brave all the time you know," I said as soothingly as I could. "Sometimes it's okay to cry."

As I finished off with those words, Hermione immediately wept into my shoulders, letting all her sadness and anger out. I sat there stroking her luscious curls, thinking about how daft and idiotic that Weaslebee was. Hermione felt me tense up and could see the anger in my eyes.

"Don't get angry," she said, "I'll be fine."

I fixed my gaze at her and our eyes met. We stared at each other for what seemed like a millennium before I pulled her up and said, "Come on, we better get back."

Hermione nodded her head and we stepped out of the watchtower and into the cold corridors.

Once we arrived in front of the Fat Lady, I waited for Hermione to let go of my hand and leave. Instead she didn't let go and went a light shade of pink.

"Um… Draco?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"W-well, I was wondering m-maybe we could g-go somewhere else?"

I looked at her with confused expression.

"I-I mean, it's just that I think R-Ron might be waiting for me in there and I-I don't really w-want to f-face him right now."

I couldn't tell whether she was stuttering because she was nervous or because she was still trying to contain herself from crying again. Whatever the case, I agreed.

"Okay, we'll just go back to my room?"

Hermione nodded and so we turned back and walked the other way, hand in hand.

**Hermione's POV:**

When Draco and I arrived at his room in the Slytherin House, he let go of my hand. An awkward tension fell upon us and we stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Well uh.. make yourself at home.. I guess," Draco mumbled. "I'll just be in the bathroom for a bit."

He made his way into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Once I heard the click of the door, I shambled around the four corners of the room, observing all of the little things that stood out to me. Quite frankly, I half expected the room to be filled with Slytherin markings and all that. Instead, it was a room just like any other teenager. After pacing around the room a couple of times, I sat on the edge of his bed and waited for him to come out.

It wasn't long until I heard the click of the door again. Turning my head towards the bathroom, Draco walked out half naked with a towel wrapped around his lower part and no shirt.

"Draco!" I yelled as I covered my face with my hands. I could feel my face heating up and turning the darkest red possible.

"What?" he asked, looking confused. Then he looked down at what he was wearing and chuckled. "_Oh._"

"Yes," I said. "Oh."

Draco laughed. "Sorry, I'm not used to guests at night." He winked and walked over to his wardrobe and picked out clothing to wear to sleep. I kept my face covered, waiting for my face to stop heating up. Finally, I looked up only to find my face heating up again because all Draco had done was switch the towel to some boxers.

"Oh come on," Draco complained. "At least let me feel at home a little bit."

I gave a long, audible sigh and let him continue wearing his 'sleeping' attire. Suddenly, it became silent.

Draco rubbed the back of his head. "Well uh.. there's only one bed so um… I'll just sleep on the floor and you can take the bed."

I felt guilty. Without thinking, I blurted out the following words. "No no Draco, it's okay you don't have to sleep on the floor."

Draco smirked. "Well where else am I supposed to sleep?"

_Dammit, why did I just say that?_ "W-well uhm… y-you could maybe uh.. sleep in the bed too? Y-you know, I'll sleep on this side a-and you sleep on the other?"

Draco laughed at my awkward intimacy. "If you say so."

He climbed into the right side of the bed while I climbed into the left. Our bodies felt rigid and stiff under the blanket. Without realising it, I rolled over on the bed and stopped ¾ of the way through, realising how close I was to his body. Draco, sensing that I was near, pulled me in and hugged me tight. I slowly got out of his grasp and sat up slightly. Our eyes were fixed onto each other. I smiled and leaned in, giving him a subtle kiss.

"Thank you for tonight." I whispered.

He didn't reply and instead, lifted his head up and brought his lips onto mine. I melted at his touch. His tongue grazed the bottom of my lip, as if asking for entrance. I opened my mouth slightly and he slid his tongue in, exploring the inside of my mouth. He rolled on top of me and wrapped his arms around my body. I could feel him holding back. I pushed my lips harder onto his and felt the muscular tone of his body with my hands.

He stopped for a minute, breathing heavily whilst still on top of me. "Are you sure Hermione?"

I hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly, knowing that whatever he did, I trusted him. He brought his lips back to mine and we began lip locking at every turn. I knew the risk that I was taking but I also knew that whatever grudges that I held on with him, I could let it go.

I closed my eyes and let him take control, forgetting everything that happened that night and gave it my all.

**Well, there you have it. I took an extremely long time writing this chapter because of the scene above so please bear with me D;  
Apologies for the weird title haha, could be the present as in the present tense or the present as in the 'present' present. Whatever floats your boat ~  
Please review, thanks for reading and all known characters belong to the one and only JK Rowling :) **

**sapphire-lights x**


	16. Chapter 16 Ginny's Plan

**Just want to give a quick apology for posting the chapters really late. Writers block keeps coming to me every time I try to write so.. yeah sorry ~ The story will be going back to Hermione's POV like always :)**

The sparkling sun seeped through the curtains as I woke up to the sound of chirping birds. I lifted up one eyelid gently, and tried to sit upright on my bed. The only problem was it wasn't my bed. I checked my surroundings, completely unaware of where I was. I heard a shuffle of movements beside me and turned to see none other than Draco Malfoy sleeping graciously in… no… shirt…

Then I remembered the night before. My heart sped up faster, skipping a beat every few seconds. No.. it can't be. I-I was just drunk, yes that's it. Except I was completely sober the whole time. Oh Merlin… what have I gotten myself into? Slowly I picked myself up from the bed and began lifting my feet off the bed. Once I've finally done so, I'm about to take off but a sudden hand pulls me back into the bed. My eyes widen up with shock as Draco's arms wrap around me tightly. He starts to murmur quietly. I strain my ears to try make out what he's saying.

"_Hermione…."_

This is all too surreal. I shake his shoulder gently to wake him up. Draco opens his eyes groggily, still murmuring my name. Suddenly, his eyes snap wide open.

"Hermione?!"

"Er… yeah, good morning… I guess." This couldn't be more awkward.

Draco looks at me up and down then does his infamous Malfoy smirk. "Hermione… you're…."

I look down at myself and shriek. I was only wearing my bra and underwear. My face turned into the colour of beetroot as I turned away sharply. Draco chuckled.

"You're wearing nothing as well Malfoy." I snapped.

"Back to a last name basis, are we?" I didn't reply.

"And besides," he continued, "I always go to bed like this. It's natural. You on the other hand –"

I cupped my hand to his mouth immediately. Draco found himself amused.

"Not another word about this, okay?" I said, as threatening as I could.

Draco nodded and I immediately lifted my hand off his mouth.

"I'm going to go wash up. Luckily, it's a Saturday otherwise we'd both be late for classes. I know how much you care about your education," Draco remarked with a wink. I scoffed.

"Bloody git." I muttered under my breath.

"That's not what you called me last night," Draco teased while strolling into the bathroom.

"Draco!" I shrieked, chucking a pillow at the closing door .

Sighing, I got dressed into last night's attire while listening to him chortle behind the white wooden door.

I walked into the dining hall for breakfast as nonchalantly as I could. Luckily, no one saw me creep out from the Slytherin dorms. I strolled over to the table Harry and Ginny were sitting at and slowly took my place.

"Hermione, where were you last night? I didn't hear you come in," Ginny asked.

A feeling of shock washed over me but I quickly covered it with a smile. "I got caught up in the library last night and didn't come in until late."

"Typical 'Mione," Harry joked.

The dining hall doors opened a few seconds later and revealed Draco ambling his way through to the Slytherin tables. He locked eyes with our table and gave me a wink before settling for a cup of OJ and some toast. I blushed ferociously behind my golden locks. Ginny nudged me in the ribs roughly.

"Wow Hermione, you haven't blushed like that before. Malfoy's rubbing off on you good huh?" Ginny taunted. A second later, she replaced her smirk with a face of disgust. "Actually I don't want to know what Malfoy's been rubbing on you." She poked her tongue out.

"Ginevra Weasley!" I slapped her hard on the shoulders.

Ginny rubbed her shoulder and pouted. Then we both started giggling uncontrollably. Harry looked up from where he was sitting and stared at us curiously.

"Gin, 'Mione, you two okay there?"

"Yes," we both said in unison before cracking up laughing again.

The dining hall doors opened once more and revealed a grumpy Ron Weasley slumping around with a hunched back. He walked over to our table with a forced smile. No smiles were returned.

"Hey guys," Ron said. "Ginny, Harry, Hermione. How are you guys?"

Ginny scowled before returning back to her breakfast and Harry just gave a brief nod.

Ron turned away sharply, and looked for another place to sit. Lavender grabbed this chance immediately to get her Won-Won back into her arms.

"Won-Won!" She cried out, while ushering him to the seat next to hers.

Ginny scowled again. "Bloody git." She muttered under her breath.

"Ginny, he's your brother!" I said.

"Yeah and you're my sister. Nobody hurts my sister."

I smiled at her comforting words. Harry piped up and joined into our conversation.

"Yeah Gin's right, Mione," he said. "Ron shouldn't have called you that. He's always so short-tempered."

"You know Hermione, I know something that will cheer you up," Gin said.

"Oh?" I was surprised then saw Ginny's nasty smile. "On second thought, I'm not really sure I want to know now…."

Ginny cackled. "Oh hush you. Right after you left, Draco managed to give Ron a major beating. He punched him hard, big time." A light blush crept up to my cheeks.

Ginny continued. "To others, it seemed like it gave Malfoy a good excuse to beat him up for the past year, but _we_ know better, don't we Harry?"

Harry looked up from his food. "Hm? Oh um, yeah." I knew he was trying to stifle a laugh.

"Guys….." I groaned. Gin and Harry laughed at my embarrassment.

"Well come on then, it's a Saturday. How about we head out to Hogsmeade for the day?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah okay."

"Great," Ginny said. "Meet at the Three Broomsticks within an hour or so." Ginny and Harry looked at each other unsteadily and I raised my eyebrow.

"Um Hermione…. Don't you have to return those books you borrowed from the library a few nights ago?" Ginny asked.

"Oh shoot! I do!" I jumped out from the table and started jogging my way out of the hall. "See you guys later!"

**Normal POV:**

As Hermione left the dining hall in a hurry, Harry turned to Ginny, who had a huge smile across her face.

"Alright Ginny, what are you planning this time?" Harry asked, while eyeing his girlfriend carefully.

"We're not the ones who are meeting Hermione later."

"What?" Harry was baffled.

"Just watch and you'll get my drift." Ginny said.

Then she waved her hand over at the Slytherin table, which was nearly empty.

"Oi Malfoy, over here!"

**So here's chapter 16! Thank you for reading and I'll try my best to update more. Please leave your ideas of what you would like in the story for later on. Please do it; it'll help me heaps! Thanks guys :) DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to the beautiful JK Rowling c:**


	17. Chapter 17 Plan Into Action

**Hermione's POV:**

Almost an hour had passed since I left the hall to return my books to the library. It seemed as though every time I set foot into that area, I'd get sucked in by the enormous variety of neatly shelved books.

A few minutes later, I prepared to depart for the Three Broomsticks to meet Harry and Ginny. Once I was ready, I stepped outside of Hogwarts' grounds and apparated to Hogsmeade.

After a few moments, the churning of my stomach stopped and I paused to take in the familiar surroundings of Hogmeade. I carefully manoeuvred my way around to the entrance of the Three Broomsticks and stepped in. The warmth of the mini shack hit my face immediately as I searched the tables for a red head and a raven haired boy. My eyes made contact with a boy sitting by the window, shaking slightly from the cold weather outside. I hesitated for a second before making my way towards the boy with the white-blond hair.

**DRACO'S POV:**

I sat alone behind the small wooden table placed directly in front of the window in the Three Broomsticks. I still shivered slightly from the whistle of the sharp wind outside as I stepped into the shabby shack. Sitting patiently, I thought back to this morning's event at breakfast.

_~Flashback~_

"Oi Malfoy, over here!" A voice interrupted my deep thoughts. I glanced up and saw Weaslebee's sister waving frantically across at the Gryffindor table with Potter sitting beside her. I sighed and looked around the Slytherin table. Most seats have been cleared up and there were only a few people finishing off their breakfast, so I decided to join Ginny and Harry. Once I took my seat across the couple, Ginny made no effort to let me ask what was happening and got right down to business.

"Right, Malfoy. I have a request – actually no, a demand to make. Meet us at the Three Broomsticks in an hour. Don't be late."

With that, she stood up and left with Harry trailing behind. I growled to myself. Taking orders from other people was not my thing. But still, this was Hermione's friend and I supposed I should be nice to her.

_~End Flashback~_

"Draco?" a surprised voice called out. I glanced up from my seat and drew in my breath. Hermione stood before me, slightly shaking from the cold. Even in her Gryffindor scarf and jumper, she still managed to take my breath away.

"Er hello Hermione," I said. It sounded more like a question then a greeting.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "So, mind if I join you for a bit? Gin and Harry were supposed to meet me here and I guess it wouldn't hurt if I sat down with you for a bit."

I narrowed my eyes. "Wait, Ginny and Harry? They asked me to meet them here too."

Hermione took the seat next to me and sighed. "I'm going to kill you Gin…" she muttered under her breath.

I chuckled. "So, this is one of her master plans, is it?" Hermione nodded.

"Well, might as well make the most of today. Let me treat you to a drink." I clicked my fingers twice and a young blond waitress appeared.

"What can I get you?" she fluttered her eyelashes and gave a smile.

"Can I just get two butterbeers? Thanks." I ordered.

The waitress giggled slightly and walked away. Not long after, she came back with two cups of butterbeer, which she placed lightly in front of me and dumped carelessly in front of Hermione.

"Thanks," I said again.

She giggled once more and walked back to the counter. I turned back to Hermione who growled.

"Did I say something funny? She kept laughing at me."

Hermione rolled her eyes slightly. "She's obviously flirting with you, Draco. I thought a playboy like you would know that."

"Hey I am not a playboy!" I snapped. Hermione raised her eyebrow. Well, she wasn't wrong, considering my reputation and everything. "Okay, I _was _a playboy."

"Was?" Hermione gave a playful smile.

I smirked. "Yes, was. I've got you now." A deep blush crept up to Hermione's cheeks.

The blond waitress came back once again. "Is there anything else I can get you, handsome?" She twirled the tip of her hair and fluttered her eyelashes again.

Hermione growled once more. "Hey yeah, can I get another butter beer?" she asked.

The waitress narrowed her eyes at Hermione then faced me again, giving a broad smile. I looked at Hermione and winked.

"Actually," I said, "could my _girlfriend _and I get another butter beer?" The waitress looked enraged and merely nodded before picking up me and Hermione's cups, clanking them together in a rude manner.

I looked at Hermione, who was trying to stifle a giggle. "Well, that was fun." I said.

Once Hermione and I finished our second round of butter beers, we stepped outside into the cold once again and made our way back to the castle. Beside me, Hermione tried her best to not shiver but I could tell she was cold. I pulled her in and held her in my arms as we continued to walk back to Hogwarts.

"Better?" I asked. She nodded, making it obvious that she had a beetroot coloured face.

Hermione and I went our separate ways once we arrived at Hogwarts. As I stepped into the Slytherin common room, Blaise stood up and threw his hands up in the air.

"There you are mate! Where've you been?"

"Oh just out.. y'know, with a friend." I averted my gaze from Blaise's eyes.

"A friend?" said Blaise knowingly. "Come on Draco, it was Granger wasn't it?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Woah there, no need to get defensive. Just thought you would've dropped her by now. You know, our dare was over weeks ago."

I grunted as a response.

"Hold on… don't tell me…. You like Granger don't you?" Blaise teased.

"Is there a problem with it? I may or may not have already formed a relationship with her, although it doesn't concern you."

"Don't worry, I'm not judging." Blaise smirked. "Wow, the Slytherin Prince with the brains of the Golden Trio. You don't see that kind of relationship every day."

"Watch it Zabini. One slip up and I'll hex you into oblivion." I snapped.

Blaise chuckled and finally stopped asking questions. I gave a brief nod before walking up the stairs to my dorms and becoming idle from the world.

***Hey guys! I'm thinking of ending this story soon, maybe in about 10ish more chapters? Let me know if I should make a sequel to this story. As always, thank you for reading! Oh, I've been so distracted these days that I haven't realised that I've gotten over 10,000 views so.. yay haha! Apologies for any grammar errors and such, will update soon I hope. :) **

**All known characters belong to JKR! Sapphire-lights x**


	18. Chapter 18 - Pansy Parkinson

**Hermione's POV:  
**Days had passed since the last trip to Hogsmeade. The work load became extraordinary and I had difficulty keeping up. As I pranced my way into potions class, I couldn't help my notice that Draco wasn't there.. _again_. The platinum blonde hair mysteriously disappeared after the Hogsmeade trip and I started to worry. Ginny glanced up and saw me standing in the doorway, twiddling my fingers. She got up from her seat and led me to her table.

"Relax Hermione, he'll come back. You'll see," Gin said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

I nodded feebly, hoping that her words would sink in soon. I sighed and began copying the notes that Professor Slughorn wrote up, distracting myself for what seemed like only a few minutes. Once class was dismissed, I hurried out of the classroom absent-mindedly and accidentally bumped into someone, causing all of my books and papers to fly in every direction. I landed with a thud before picking up my notes in a rushed manner. I looked up and saw Ron standing there, lightly shuffling his feet.

"Oh.. sorry," he mumbled. I picked myself up and tucked my hair behind my ears.

"It's fine," I snapped, "probably didn't want my Mudblood germs on you, now did you?"

I shoved his shoulder roughly and set foot for the library, hoping to complete a few assignments whilst I was in there.

By the time I came back into reality, it was almost time for dinner. I looked down at my empty parchment and sighed. 'Looks like I won't be doing any studying tonight,' I thought. I packed up my equipment and stalked out of the library. As I walked through the hallways, I contemplated on whether or not I should pass by the Slytherin common room. In the end, I did. I approached the Slytherin Common Room door quietly. There were two voices murmuring behind the rich golden door.

"Come on Draco, you know you'll have to do it soon enough." A high pitched voice chirped.

_Draco? So he was back…_

I heard a light growl, which probably came from Draco. "No Pansy, please leave."

I held back a gasp. Pansy? Pansy Parkinson was here? When, where and how?

"Just..just think about my offer." Pansy replied.

There was a light shuffling of feet before the Slytherin doors began to open. I quickly hid behind a pillar, trying to stop my heavy breathing. I peeked out from the side and saw Pansy cautiously observing the familiar scenery. She looked back at Draco with a smirk before apparating from where she stood and disappeared.

Draco slowly walked out from the room and took a long, dramatic sigh. "Hermione, you can come out now."

I hid behind the pillar immediately, embarrassed about getting caught. I peeked my head out from the pillar to see Draco leaning by the arched doorframe, smirking. He signalled me to come inside and I quickly rushed in, still red in the face about being caught. Once I was inside, he fell back into a chair and stared at me with his grey orbs.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Not much… just the part where she told you to think about her offer."

"Hm." Was all Draco managed to say. Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I sat down in the chair next to him.

"Well, what was her offer?"

"Nothing that concerns you." Draco was trying to avoid my gaze at every turn of his head. Finally his eyes seemed to land at his hands, which were placed on his lap.

"Come on Draco, you can't hide this from me. It must be serious if Pansy had to talk to you in person about what ever matter it was, not to mention, inside Hogwarts grounds." I threw my hands in the air just to emphasise how big the whole spectacle was.

"Well, I don't need to tell you." Draco snapped. "Honestly Granger, just drop it."

I stared at him with utter shock. First he becomes cold like he was in the past few years and now we're back to a last name basis? Draco finally looked at me for the first time. His eyes softened at the sight of me. He looked completely lost and confused, but at the same time he shut everyone out, including me.

He sighed and fell back into a heap. Draco shut his eyes and rubbed his temples with his fingers. I sat there with an uncomfortable silence surrounding us before I stood up and straightened out my uniform.

"Well… I best be off to dinner." With that, I stomped out of the Slytherin Common Room, not knowing where our relationship was sitting.

**Draco's POV:**

When Hermione left, stomping away, I fell back into the couch and sighed for the umpteenth time today. I laid back on the couch and thought back on Pansy and I's conversation.

_~Flashback~_

"Drakieee," Pansy's high pitched shriek erupted in the Slytherin Common Room.

I turned around sharply. "Don't call me that." I gritted through my teeth.

Pansy faked a look of hurt. "Now Drakie, is that a way to welcome back your girlfriend?"

"You're_ not_ my girlfriend." I glared at her with fury. "Pansy whatever you're doing here just tell me now. I'm in no mood for your mind games."

Pansy cackled before placing herself on the cream coloured seat. "Always to the point, _soo_ Malfoy like." She drawled. "Right then, I know you've been trying to track us down Drakie. Very unwise if you ask me. Rodolphus doesn't like people sneaking around trying to watch us. 'Pity,' he said. 'Could use someone like you in our plan.'"

My head snapped up at the sound of Rodolphus' name. "Rodolphus Lestrange? Is he one of the people in this association?"

Pansy put her finger up and gave a tut. "Now now, don't act so surprised. Of course he is. Well anyway, you're needed to help us. Only you can walk in and out of these hallways without anyone suspecting you. We need you to sneak us in."

"Why? What's in it for me?"

"Well so we can take control of course," Pansy replied almost instantly. "How daft of you Drakie. Hogwarts is the perfect place to regain control now that the Dark Lord has been vanquished. It will be simple once we're in here. All we need you to do is simply sneak us in."

I scoffed. "You're not worried that Potter and the Order will stop you? And why not just apparate in like you just did?"

"Oh goodness." Pansy rolled her eyes. "Like Potter and his clan could stop us. Well of course Hogwarts has new security and wards now. The only reason it's not going off while I'm in here is because I used to be a student here. It only does a minimal effect on the security system, not enough to sound the alarms. I can only be here once to tell you."

"No way Pansy am I going to let you and your men waltz through these halls."

Pansy faked another look of pain and sadness. "Draco you're a deatheater. This is the deed you must carry out."

I stood up. "Ex-deatheater. And what'll happen if I refuse?"

Pansy's smile turned into a wicked grin. "Perhaps a certain Mudblood with curly brown hair will change your mind."

My eyes flashed dangerously. "You touch one hair on Hermione's head and I'll make sure you never see broad daylight again."

Pansy laughed like an evil witch. "Associating with that filthy Mudblood. Poor thing, you're all messed up. Come on Draco, you know you'll have to do it soon enough."

I growled at such an absurd thought. "No Pansy, please leave."

Pansy smirked. "Just- Just think about my offer."

_~End Flashback~_

I could never betray Hogwarts like that. This place is now considered my home and I am not letting it get destroyed again. I opened my eyes and looked up at the ceiling. I must keep Hermione safe though, even if it means keeping her away from me for a while longer.

***Sort of a filler, I'm still trying to get this whole thing to fit together in order for the story to work so yep! I know, I hated making Draco cold towards Hermione here but I had to.  
****Wrote this at 2am in the morning, so it might be a bit sloppy. Anyway, thank you all for the reviews, it means the world to me. Also thanks to whoever's reading!**

**ALSO ONE LAST THING! Be sure to read my new story once it's posted; it's nothing serious, just an idea created by me and my friend when we were going retarded one night. She's going to be the main character, and like I said, it's just for the sh*ts and giggles c:**


	19. Chapter 19 - Pansy's Plan

After I stormed out on Draco, I didn't feel like eating. I lost my appetite and my stomach churned at the mere sight of Pansy. At the Gryffindor dining table, I slumped down my shoulders and started picking at my food, rolling the meatballs around with my fork. Harry and Ginny could sense a weird aura around me but decided not to say anything. As for Ron, he continuously shovelled food down his throat, completely oblivious to the whole thing. It was nearly the end of dinner and Draco had not shown up. I sighed unhappily and wondered whether I should apologise for being a bit too curious into what was, not my business.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Harry asked with a hint of concern.

"I'm okay," I lied, giving him a strong smile, or so I thought.

"Come on Hermione, we can see something troubling you behind that smile. You don't fool us that easy," Ginny remarked. _Curse Ginny_.

"It's nothing, really," I replied. "It'll be fine guys."

They both nodded then turned to look at the staff table. Professor McGonagall was clearly waiting for silence, which she got in a few minutes.

"Now students, I just have a quick announcement to make. After getting a few matters in order, I have allowed a former-student to return to Hogwarts. After the war, I have strengthened in the quality of forgiveness. I hope you can all give Miss Parkinson a warm welcome."

Students began to whisper at the mention of Pansy's name. Slytherins just sniggered while the other three houses erupted into a big hush of whispers and outbursts.

"What? She can't come back here!"

"She was a Deatheater, and still is!"

"I heard she's accommodated with other Deatheaters."

Hermione's head snapped at the last comment made by someone from the Ravenclaw house.

"Quiet!" Professor McGonagall shot her hand up for silence. "I will not have such accusations within Hogwarts. Now, I believe it is time for all of you to go to bed. Off you go."

Students scrambled out of the hallway muttering to themselves or with a friend. The dining hall was almost cleared out by the time Harry motioned all of us to leave. As I stood up, I turned to face the one and only Pansy Parkinson sneering at my presence.

"Well well, if it isn't the know-it-all mudblood." She said in disgust.

"Shove off Parkinson, you and your idiotic remarks are not needed here," Ginny spat, wand in hand.

Pansy just shoved Ginny out of the way, but before disappearing entirely she brushed against my shoulder and whispered "Looks like I get to keep a closer eye on you with my man," only loud enough so I could hear. She strolled away cackling, leaving me and my body feeling rigid as I stood. Harry shook my shoulder lightly.

"Hermione don't worry, it's just Pansy."

All I could return was a weak smile as we went back up the stairs into the girls dormitories. I crashed onto my bed not even bothering to get comfortable, thinking about how horrible my life had just become.

**Draco's POV:**

My stomach grumbled wildly as I lay on the slick green couch. Now I really regretted skipping out on dinner. I heard the sudden rush of footsteps coming closer to the Slytherin dorms. 'Must be coming back from dinner,' I thought. I let them pass when they came in, not caring about how I must've looked just lying on the couch with my eyes closed. Once I heard everyone leave, I opened up one eye just to see Blaise standing in front of me, a chuckle escaping from his lips. I growled.

"A shame you missed dinner mate," Blaise said, "McGonagall just gave the weirdest announcement."

"What? Did she talk about getting a new set of robes? Cause she definitely needs them."

Blaise laughed. "You'll see soon enough." With that, he walked away.

I sat upright as he left. What does he mean I'll find out soon enough? I furrowed my eyebrows as I thought of what it could be. 'Damn it, I'm becoming more like Hermione,' I thought, 'getting worked up about every detail.' I flopped back on the couch again and closed my eyes. It wasn't long until I felt someone stroke the side of my cheek. I bolted up immediately then turned to see Pansy stifling a giggle. I grabbed my head in pain from sitting up too fast.

"I thought you couldn't come back here Pansy," I growled.

Pansy laughed. "Come on Draco, don't you realise anything?"

I took the time to observe her more closely. Pansy had on black robes and a … Slytherin tie? 'No way..' I thought. 'That's not possible.'

Pansy saw my eyes widen then giggled. "Oh Draco… it's just like old times now."

My eyes snapped at hers. "No, it's not. It definitely isn't the same."

Pansy quickly climbed on top of me, way too quick for me to react. "Don't you miss this Draco?" She purred into my ear.

I shoved her off and brushed down my clothes. "No Pansy, I don't." I snapped.

Pansy sighed. "Draco, you can't be serious about that _mudblood_ can you? You'r- "

"Don't call her that!"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Obviously you're not thinking straight. You're a Malfoy, have you not forgotten? Malfoys do not associate with people like _her_."

"Well then maybe I should start some new traditions then, shan't I?" I sighed. "I'm going to bed."

I walked away, only to be stopped by Pansy's words.

"You _will _get back with me, and you _will _follow Rodolphus' orders. I have the power now."

I continued walking up the stairs pretending not to be affected in any way, but I did have to admit, some part of me felt a bit afraid.

**Pansy's POV:**

The next morning came by pretty quickly, and I had my plan all figured out. I would get Draco back to me _and _have him follow Rodolphus' orders. Win win for both of us. By today, I'd have my plan into action and Draco back into my arms. The only thing in my way is that filthy little mudblood who isn't any trouble.

I quickly headed down to breakfast and saw that already my plan was in action. Draco arrived at the exact time I finished writing the note. As he sat down, I whispered a spell and made the note float towards the bushy-haired mudblood. As soon as I made sure that she had read it, I turned to Draco, putting on my best innocent face.

"Draco," I said in my most soothing tone, while fluttering my eyelashes.

"What?" He growled.

"Meet me at the classroom across the Divinations room? At lunch? "

"Not a chance." He replied in his cold tone.

"Draco, come on. I'm trying to make amends. Let me show you that I've changed, at least a little bit."

"Fine," Draco replied after a few moments of silence.

I smiled then shifted back to my original position, shooting daggers at the mudblood's back while drinking my OJ.

**Hermione's POV:**

"I did not get a good sleep last night," I groaned.

"Me neither," Ginny replied, "knowing that _she's _back." She pointed out her chin towards the Slytherin table, obviously talking about Pansy.

I nodded as a reply before returning to my food. The doors opened and I turned around, to see Draco walking in. I smiled as he walked towards the Slytherin table. Suddenly, a note appeared floating above my palm. I caught it in my hands then smiled.

_Meet me at the classroom across the Divinations room at lunch._

_-DM_

I whipped my head around to try and let him know that I would come but he was already engulfed in a deep conversation with Pansy. Well, it seemed like Pansy was doing most of the talking. I shifted back, not really caring about Pansy anymore. Draco seemed like he was going to make amends and I liked it. I finished off my breakfast with a warm feeling and skipped off to first period, feeling a bit happier than I was last night.

***Ooh intense hahaha! Watch out for the grammar mistakes and such, again I wrote this at 2am so :P Sadly I do not own Harry Potter, JKR does! **

**Also, please check out my other story 'Living the Isamort Life' , its second chapter will be posted soon hopefully. **

**sapphire – lights c:**


	20. Authors Note

So sadly this is not a chapter but today I read someone's review and it kind of just -

Guest 10/2/12 . chapter 19

oh god, typical. story is going downhill. pity, cause i really liked it.

Yeah, anyway I need your ideas for how the story should go otherwise it'll just go downhill even more like what the guest said. If there is anything you'd want in the story please let me know.

Thanks, sapphire-lights :)


	21. Chapter 20 Surprises

**Pansy's POV:**

The day was dragging itself along slower than I thought. I was just itching to rush to the Divinations classroom after this lesson. _And finally I could get rid of that silly old mudblood_, I thought. I smirked to myself as the lesson came to an end and rushed out of the classroom quickly.

When I arrived at the isolated classroom, the bushy haired freak was already in there, pacing around the room in anxiety. I snickered in disgust and hid behind a pillar. I placed a silencing charm around the room and waited for Draco to come. Once he did, my plan would fall into place.

Minutes went by and there was still no sign of the platinum-blonde Slytherin. I started to get a little anxious myself, but I didn't let it get to me. He said he was going to come, didn't he? I peeked out of the pillar and saw Granger, still pacing about keeping an eye out for Draco. I got agitated by every second and could finally take it no longer.

_Well, looks like I'll have to do this another way,_ I thought to myself.

Twisting my way around the pillar, I crept into the room while Granger had her back to me and closed the door with a slight thump. Granger swivelled around in her spot and narrowed her eyes at me immediately.

"Where's Draco?" she gritted through her teeth.

"How dare you talk to me without permission, you filthy little mudblood," I spat.

Granger rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Anyway," I continued, "it seems as though you're no longer the brightest witch of her age, or whatever they called you."

"What?" Granger replied in a most obnoxious tone.

"Draco's not coming! What makes you think he would've came at all? He belongs to me. He loves me and my pureblood traditions and not you and your mudblood ways."

Granger scoffed. "Please, I hardly think that Draco is still in love with you Pansy. And besides, I think Draco has already made up his mind about me and my mudblood ways." A slight smirk crept up to her face.

"You watch it mudblood, I'll have that smirk wiped off your face before you know it."

Anger boiled up inside me as I drew out my wand and fired a Stupefy spell directly aimed at Granger. She flew back, unaware of the sudden events. She stood back up and drew out her wand, but before she was even close to firing back a spell at me, I yelled with all my might and sent a spell of the unforgivable.

**Hermione's POV:**

The word Crucio rang through my head as I felt the rushing pain flow through my body. I dropped to the ground, nearly unconscious. My mind flashed back to the unwanted memory of Bellatrix Lestrange torturing the living daylights out of me. I found myself lost into the memory as I felt the excruciating pain once again. I heard Pansy cackle wickedly as she hit me again with the curse. I yelled in pain, hoping someone would hear my cries of help. But then again, Pansy would've put a silencing charm before she came in. The torture seemed to last an eternity, with every hit doubling with pain.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pansy lower her wand and take out a thick long rope. She grabbed me roughly by the shoulder and tied my hands and legs together, making it unable for me to do any sort of spell. She skipped her way out of the room in content, abandoning me on the hard, lonely floors, leaving me to cry in utter despair.

***Hey guys, I'm sorry for not updating sooner! I had to go through a few difficulties this past week. I'm also sorry for the short chapter but I will update real soon with a length-worthy chapter. This wasn't one of my best so yeah, anyway please leave a review! Thank you guys for reading! I love you all :D**

**Again, beware of any appalling grammar/spelling errors c:**


	22. Chapter 21 Lavender Brown

**Hermione's POV:**

I cried for what seemed like an eternity. My cheek was numb from making contact with the cold wooden floor and my eyes were stained with tears. I let another sob escape from my throat and closed my eyes hopelessly. I scrunched my fist in frustration and anger and felt the crumpled piece of parchment that 'Draco' supposedly wrote to me that morning.

_Stupid Hermione, how daft could you be? Falling for another one of Pansy's tricks. _I asked myself, not really expecting to receive a reply.

_Because you love him, _another voice instantly retorted back.

I gave a long audible sigh and slowly let myself drift away. At this point, I could barely feel my limbs and was going to faint any moment.

_Please, someone just rescue me_, I pleaded.

As though someone had my mind, the door smashed open and someone yelled out my name in utter shock.

"HERMIONE!"

I felt too faint to even turn my head to see who it was, nor open my eyes to catch a glimpse of my saviour. Instead I fell into a deep slumber, feeling the strong warm arms that gripped me tight.

Hours later, I awoke in a place that seemed unfamiliar to me at that moment. I sat up groggily and clutched the side my head, which was spinning wildly. I blinked several times before having a clear vision of what seemed like the infirmary. I groaned as the pain grew in my head, causing someone beside me to wake up, startled. He stared at me with his big grey orbs and sighed in relief.

"Hermione, are you okay?" He got up from his chair and kneeled beside me, grabbing hold of my hand lightly.

"Mmf," was all I managed to say. I leaned back against my pillow and stared at the ceiling.

"You do not know how worried I was. You weren't at dinner or any of your classes at lunch. I couldn't find you anywhere!" He flung his arms up in the air to show his disappointment in not being able to find me.

"How did you find me then?" I asked tiredly.

"Well after I checked the lake, that Brown girl ran up to me and told me to go to the Divinations class. I then remembered that Pansy was probably at the Divinations classroom waiting for me. So, having nowhere else to look, I went. That's how I found you."

"Lavender? Why did she send you?" Draco shrugged. "Wait, Pansy, you mean.. she…"

Draco nodded. "She asked me to come meet her there but knowing her for these past years, I decided against it at the last minute. I'm guessing she sent you there too."

I nodded but didn't say anything else. Instead I looked around the empty infirmary slowly before landing my eyes on the crumpled piece of paper I was once holding.

"Did you… did you read that?" I asked, pointing to the parchment.

Draco shook his head. "No, I figured I shouldn't since it could've been private."

I leaned over and picked up the scrunched up ball, then handed it over to Draco. He took it then looked at me with a blank expression.

"Read it."

I watched his eyes scan the piece of paper several times, every time getting more and more frustrated. I reached for his hand and held it gently.

"What – what did she do to you?" He growled.

I began to explain it in very brief terms, describing everything in detail. As I finished off, I watched his frustrated expression turn murderous.

"How… dare she touch you…" His voice was soft but you could tell there was an extremely dangerous tone in it.

"Draco, please it's alright, I'm fine." I didn't mean to defend Pansy but I didn't want him doing something he was soon to regret either.

Draco let go of my hand and jumped onto his feet. "No Hermione it's not! She can't just come back and try to ruin everything! She can't come back and just Crucio you anytime she pleases! And I can't do nothing in return for what she did to you!"

I flinched at how loud his voice became. "Draco I know what she's doing to me! I'm fully aware of it and I know she should get some sort of punishment. But she can't break what we have, not after all that we've done to build it up. You will get your revenge on her soon okay? Just please don't try and do anything you'll regret."

Draco saw me flinch and immediately let go of his anger. He merely sighed and fell back into his chair.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I'm sorry for releasing my anger on you. And I know that this probably isn't the right time, but I'm sorry for snapping at you when Pansy first came. I promise I will tell you everything once you get better. I was stressed and just… confused."

I smiled at his attempt to apologise. "I've already forgiven you. It was stupid anyway."

Draco looked me in the eye and gave a small smile. He got out of his chair and leaned down next to me bed. He looked at me with those mesmerising grey orbs and cupped my face with his hands.

"You are simply amazing, you know." He whispered. I lightly blushed.

He leant down and captured his lips with mine. I instantly reacted and shut my eyes, letting him give a kiss that was breathtaking.

"Oh, Miss Granger, you're uh…. you're awake I see."

Draco and I immediately sprung apart and my face became a deep crimson colour. Draco chuckled at my embarrassment.

"Yes Madam Pomfrey, I am awake."

"That's good dear; I'll need you to stay in here for a bit longer just so I can make sure you're alright. Before I do so, - "

She caught Draco trying to sneak out of the doorway.

"I'll ask once more, would you like to tell me how she became this way?"

I eyed Draco weirdly, wondering why he didn't tell her. In return, he gave me his infamous Malfoy smirk and turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"No Madam Pomfrey I'm sure it'd be better this way." With that he strolled away and walked out of the big wooden doors and disappeared.

**Draco's POV:**

As I heard the great doors shut behind me, I began walking back to the Slytherin common room until I caught a glimpse of light-brown locks of hair hiding behind a wall. I lightly coughed and Lavender Brown shuffled her way out behind the wall, twirling her fingers around her hair.

"I-is she alright?" She mumbled almost inaudibly.

I nodded briefly. Silence filled the empty corridors. Not wanting to indulge in a conversation with her, I turned on my heel prepared to walk away until a question popped into my mind.

"Hey Brown?"

"Yes?" She squeaked.

"Why did you tell me to get Hermione? Why not do it yourself?"

Brown stared down at her feet. "I owe it to her for not hexing me into oblivion when I took Ron from right under her nose. She should be furious with me but she's not. I owe her that much."

"Hm." Was all I said.

"B-besides," she said flustered, "you and her have a kind of _thing_ you know – well I guess I should say relationship now since it's quite obvious and all…" she babbled.

"Brown just get to the point."

"R-right, well it would make more sense for you to go and save her."

Merlin, how nervous could she get? I wasn't going to strangle her or anything. "Well Brown, thank you."

**Lavender's POV:**

After Draco Malfoy thanked me and stalked off, I scurried away into a dark corridor, heart thumping.

"Well?" came the high-pitched sneer. I jumped in fear and surprise. "Did you do it?" she asked.

"Y-yes, I talked to him and I-I think he believes me." I stuttered.

"Brilliant. Now shove off before I hex you into oblivion."

I turned around and walked away shakily, not before seeing her emerge from the shadows that covered her figure, the now not-so-former witch of Hogwarts…

_Pansy Parkinson._

***Hey guys! I know the story may seem like it's going a bit slow at the moment but I will speed things up a bit in the next chapter. As promised, here is a length-worthy chapter (I think?). Thank you to all the lovely people who reviewed and thank you to everyone who is still following this story or added it to their favourites! :D x**


	23. I'm sorry!

Hi guys! I am so sorry for not updating and yes, I probably shouldn't be putting up another author's note but I really need to know something.

So, I think my story is slowly going downhill and I have no idea what to write next in the chapter. I'm thinking of stopping this story completely – yes I know, I hate when I have to stop stories and leave them unfinished – but, would you guys forgive me if I started writing a new one that I will promise to not stop?

Basically, this is what I'm asking:

Should I stop this story and start a new one?

If you don't want me to stop it, what's something that I might be able to put into the next chapter to get it flowing again?

If I do stop this story, would you guys read the new one that I might put up?

Yep, that's pretty much it, I think.

ALSO, one of the reasons I stopped writing was cause my whole fanfic folder got deleted somehow so everything was lost and since I'm an idiot, I didn't back it up so I went all Hulk-like and stopped writing.

Once again, I'm so sorry about all this. I am a horrible person. Ok, let me know.

Thank you!


	24. Chapter 22 - Visits and A Letter

**A/N:** Before I start this chapter, I just want to say that I'm probably going to continue this story (Yay! Celebration! Party poppers!) but it might take a while to get back on track. So thank you for sticking with this story and I love you all!

A few days had passed since Madame Pomfrey let me out of the infirmary. Draco was out of sight, again and I couldn't help but get an uncomfortable feeling at the pit of my stomach. I sighed and took a deep breath. It was no use getting worked up. He'd come back soon, right?

Classes were almost over and it was nearly time for Christmas. Students were already hanging decorations around the school here and there and snow began to fall, creating a thin layer of white ice on all the buildings and trees. Despite everything that was happening, it was already starting to look like a beautiful Christmas.

Feeling immensely happier, I made my way over to Harry, Ginny and Ron. They, of course, visited me while I was in the infirmary and demanded to know what happened. I told them everything and they swore that they'd take care of Pansy but lately, she wasn't around. I felt weird, knowing that she wasn't around while Draco wasn't either. I also manage to patch things up with Ron, as did Harry and Ginny. Our friendship's been a bit rough but we're getting there.

Speaking of visits, I also received a rather odd one while I was in there… from Blaise Zabini. I didn't even bother to close my mouth when he walked in and walked straight to my bed. It was strange. I knew that he was Draco's best friend but never would I have thought that we'd have an actual civilised conversation.

_Flashback~_

"_B-Blaise Zabini?"_

_Blaise laughed. "You can close your mouth now Granger. And don't worry, I'm not here to torture you or anything. Just want to talk about Draco."_

_I shut my eyes when he said the word torture. Obviously he didn't know why I was in here but I didn't question it._

"_Okay," I managed to croak out._

_He took a seat on the chair next to me and sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into him these days. Maybe it's just Pansy coming back or something.. I'm not sure. I was wondering if you knew?"_

_It took time for me to answer as I was still buzzed about the fact that Blaise was being civil to me. "I'm not sure either," I lied. I didn't know why Draco didn't tell Blaise about the real reason of Pansy's return but I suppose I had to play along. "I could talk to him, if you want."_

_Blaise smiled. "That'd be good, thanks. I know I should probably ask him myself, but I'm not sure that he'd tell me."_

_I nodded and he got out of his seat, ready to leave the infirmary. Before he walked out of the door, he turned back to me._

"_I suppose I could try being friends with you," he said. "If Draco can do it, then I guess I can."_

_With that, he walked out without saying another word._

His visit was short, but it got me wondering. Why didn't Draco tell Blaise anything? Isn't what bet friends are there for? And why has he mysteriously disappeared again? I shook my head and continued walking towards the big oak tree, making light footprints in the snow as I went along. Once I reached the trio, Ginny rushed up to me with a frantic look on her face.

"Ginny? What's wrong?"

"Hermione, I know you just got out of the infirmary and everything hasn't been all that great but Harry said I shouldn't keep this from you and I know I shouldn't but I just wanted you to have a happy day but I guess that there really is no time for –"

"Ginny!" I stopped her rambling and she looked at me with her wide frantic eyes, slightly panting from her babbling. "Just tell me what's wrong."

Ginny looked away. Harry came up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. In his other hand, he held a small letter. I looked at him curiously and he handed me the piece of paper. I scanned the letter quickly and put my hand over my mouth. I couldn't stand to read another word. I dropped the letter and I ran.

**Normal POV: **

Harry watched Hermione run away and couldn't help but feel guilty at what he did. But she had the right to know. He picked up the letter off the ground and re-read it once more, letting the words fully sink in.

_Mudblood_

_With the help of my acquaintances, I have managed to take away the one thing you love most. It was all quite simple really; I didn't think he'd actually go with us willingly. To keep this blunt, I'll say this as clear as I possibly can. We've taken Draco, well actually, he's joined our side now. Say bye to your one and truly love, oh wait – you can't. _

_Pansy_

Harry could imagine Pansy cackling as she wrote the letter. And he couldn't believe Malfoy. He _willingly_ went with them? And who's them? He folded the piece of parchment and put it in his pocket. Ron stood up and looked at Harry with a concerned look on his face.

"It's okay Ron," Harry said as comfortingly as he could. "Let's just go find Hermione."

**A/N:** So… good enough chapter? Yes? No?


	25. Chapter 23 - Planning

**Normal POV: **

It wasn't normal for Hermione to lose control. It wasn't normal for a Gryffindor to fall apart so easily. Gryffindors were supposed to be strong... courageous. And Hermione was being the exact opposite. But then again, everyone has a bit of each House in them, right?

Harry felt guilty. Hermione had been through so much and he was supposed to be there for her. He glanced over at Ron and could tell he felt just the same. They both fell silent as their feet made imprints along the ground, their eyes glued to the bright white layer of crystal snow.

"Hey you two dunderheads!"

The two boys looked up and saw Ginny wave her arm up from a few metres away, pointing towards her right. They rushed up and her and saw Hermione crouching down in the corner, shaking slightly. They approached her slowly and heard her muttering to herself. They raised their eyebrows and continued to advance forward.

"... Hermione?" Ginny stepped closer to her friend.

"Give me the letter."

The trio stopped in their tracks.

"Um, what?" Harry asked.

"Give me the letter Harry!" Hermione screeched, whipping her head towards them, showing her tear stained cheeks.

Harry pulled out the small piece of parchment out of his pocket and gave it to her willingly, though still unsure of what was happening. She snatched it out of his hand and began to re-read the letter quietly. She placed the letter to her left and muttered incoherent remarks.

"Hermione, we'll help you find the git you know. I mean just cause we think he's a complete idiotic-"

"Ron!" Ginny elbowed her brother in the rib.

Meanwhile, Harry walked over to Hermione's crouching body, looked over her shoulder and smirked. The brunette glanced up and glared at his smirk.

"Well we need a plan, don't we?"

Ron and Ginny stopped their bickering and walked over to Hermione, confused. Over her shoulder, they saw a whole outline of a plan - well plans - of how they could rescue Malfoy.

Ron chuckled. "Leave it to Hermione to already plan out everything first thing."

Hermione rolled her eyes and wiped away the remaining tears. "Shut up Ron."

Ginny smiled at her innocent Gryffindor friend. She admired her bravery and how stable she was being about everything.

"So what's the plan Mione?"

Hermione smiled gratefully at Ginny and had no hesitation to launch into a wild explanation, describing each and every inch of the plan. Before she even got halfway through, Harry cut her off and shook his head.

"No, absolutely not. Hermione, we're not letting you go in there by yourself."

"Harry it's the only way. I can't risk all of your lives and bring you along with me."

"But if we're not going, then why are you telling us the plan?" Ron asked.

Hermione huffed. "Because."

"Because...?"

"Just, just because."

"Hermione you've already told us half of the plan, we might as well help you." Ginny said.

"... Fine. But I'm still going in there by myself; you can all be back up."

Harry still looked unconvinced. "But Her-"r

"No Harry. If you're going to come along then we're doing this my way. This is my plan, my stupid boyfriend that's being held captive and my problem to deal with."

Harry let out an exasperated sigh and Ginny smirked at 'stupid boyfriend'.

"Fine..."

Hermione gave a content smile and continued on.

"Right, since we're unsure of where Draco is, we need a way to find out where he could be located. I was thinking of going to the library once it's closed and looking for a tracing spell to place onto this piece of parchment that was left behind." She pointed to the letter Pansy left behind. "As you know, Pansy wasn't the brightest witch at our school so I'm sure whatever spell she's put on it, we can all break it."

"Merlin, Hermione's planning to sneak out after curfew!" Ron faked a look of shock and surprise.

"Ron... this whole plan is going to break a ton of school rules, I'm sure Hermione going out after curfew is not the only rule she's going to be breaking," Harry said.

Ron shrugged. "What do you need us to do then, Mione?"

"All I need is for all of you to keep track of the time. Meet me outside the library a few minutes before midnight. I'm sure I'll find the spell by then."

They all agreed and nodded before going back to the castle, waiting for the clock to strike at midnight.

**A/N: Filler chapter.. quite boring. Sorry!**


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